Mind A-Mazes 2024

*Teams will need to actually ‘trigger’ their device at the district meet.  This means that teams may not set up the device and just hold it for ‘release’.  Teams should be able to setup their device at the starting area, then let go of the device for a moment (without device moving), then have one team member activate the ‘trigger’ on the device (when their team and judges are ready).

The packet states (B4 of limitations)…

4. Once triggered, no team member may touch the team device or guide it in any way.

*Since mousetraps are often sensitive during setup, teams may be granted some flexibility from judges at the starting area with regard to their setup.  For example, if a trap accidentally goes off before it was ready to be triggered by the team, judges will allow flexibility for a quick reset of the trap.

Correct.  As stated in C3 of the competition booklet:

3. If any part of the device that is touching the floor fully crosses a lane line while in motion, it will be at that point that Judges will stop distance measurement. Measurement will be a straight line (parallel to the lane lines) from the starting line to the point at which the device went outside the lane line (no diagonal measurements).

So even if a device goes OUT of the lane (contacting the floor) and comes back IN, judges will only give distance points to the place where the device initially crossed the lane line.  *Keep in mind that the words are ‘fully crosses’, so if a wheel just rides along the lane line, that’s OK, but when it completely goes out of the lane line, distance points stop there.

Yes, measurement will be to the front of the vehicle.  A maximum of 42 points is possible for distance, plus 25 more points if it touches the can.  If a device goes beyond 21 feet, it will only get the maximum distance points of 42.